Pasadena Celebrates the First International Day of Hope

Pasadena, CA — On the evening of July 12, the Pasadena community came together to take part in the celebration of the United Nations-designated International Day of Hope, a global initiative that invites people from all walks of life to embrace hope and turn it into meaningful action.

The event opened with remarks by Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, president of the Federation of World Peace and Love (FOWPAL), who encouraged everyone to “unite people with conscience” and to “jointly create a culture of love, peace, and hope.” Dr. Hong also introduced the official launch of the new book on the International Day of Hope, Voices of Conscience: The Light of Hope, which chronicles the movement that led to the U.N.'s formal adoption of this day through Resolution A/79/L.54. The book documents the years of global advocacy that transformed a vision into a worldwide call to action.

The event featured powerful speeches from seven community members representing various backgrounds and life stages. Among them was a representative who had just returned from the United Nations headquarters in New York, where she participated in the International Day of Hope conference. She reminded the audience of the serious challenges the world has faced this year, including devastating natural disasters like the Los Angeles wildfires, which underscored the urgent need for conscience-led action. “Hope must be transformed into action,” she shared. “When we hope for better health, we take care of our bodies. When we hope for peace, we must practice forgiveness. Hope isn’t a wish—it’s a force we activate through the way we live.” She encouraged everyone to begin every day with intentional kindness and end each night with gratitude, forming a daily habit of hopeful living.

Another speaker, a young woman who overcame the trauma of domestic violence, shared her moving personal story. She recounted how, at just two years old, her quiet presence beside her injured mother inspired the will to survive. Years later, after a car accident left her mother unable to work, they discovered healing through qigong practice. Today, both mother and daughter are thriving. Her message was clear: “Everyone faces hardship, but we must always hold on to hope and never give up.”

A third speaker, a customs broker, reflected on how she finds meaning and purpose in a role not often associated with emotional connection. She had recently returned from performing at the New York celebration of the International Day of Hope, where she portrayed an angel of compassion through a moving cultural piece set to The Song of Hope. She shared how the performance helped her reconnect to something deeper, a reminder that hope, peace, and truth must guide our choices both personally and professionally. In her work in international trade, she sees recent trade negotiations and policy shifts not only as bureaucratic processes but as opportunities to strive for fairness and balance. “Whether I’m helping clients navigate new regulations or simply doing the right thing when no one is watching, I see hope as a constant that will guide us through tough transitions and lead us to a better future.”

The event concluded with a deeply symbolic activity. The moderator invited every speaker and audience member to write down a personal wish for the world, along with one tangible action they will take to help make that wish come true. These collected messages served as a beautiful representation of the day’s purpose: turning hope into lived, shared experience.

Founded in 2000, the Federation of World Peace and Love (FOWPAL) is an international nonprofit committed to advancing global peace and conscience through dialogue, cultural exchange, and ethical leadership. FOWPAL has hosted hundreds of peace forums and visited over 100 nations, encouraging people to act with compassion and integrity for a more harmonious world.
For more information, contact info@fowpal.org.